No schoolmarm was ringing a bell outside a one-room wooden schoolhouse, but the line of cars outside Chadds Ford Elementary School was a sure sign of day one of the new school year.

“Welcome back,” said Danielle Clark to returning students and pointed out to new kindergartners where they needed to go.

Clark, the principal at CFES, said she’s eager to start her third full year as principal. She has 346 kids under her charge this year, and there will be two special focuses — fitness and math.

Clark said students would use the Walking and Learning Trail around the school. The circuit is one-third of a mile long. The idea is to get the kids to learn healthy habits and participate in healthy activities. She’s eager to see how many miles the students do through the academic year.

The other focus is on math. She explained the students would be taking part in “enhanced instruction” using an online site called First in Math. Students get stars for completing assignments. The site bills itself as teaching essential math skills that will help students in other areas and will “put the M in STEM” curriculum, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Clark is hoping the students will earn, cumulatively, one million stars.